The cabby bounced his Toyota off the red line, in an effort to squeeze into a steadily shrinking gap between the curb and a bus. Skirting disaster, the driver hurtled past the looming tourist bus, only to slam on the brakes as pedestrians swarmed across the street ahead. A rain squall began out of nowhere, brutally punishing the thousands of scooter pilots with pellet sized raindrops. The cab accelerated away from the crosswalk, deftly dodging slower traffic in a futile struggle to break free of the ever-present congestion.